Temporary

Italian Restorer Eleonora Pucci cleans dust and debris off Michelangelo’s world-famous marble statue of David at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy on September 25, 2023. The restorer spends a day dusting off the 5.17-metre statue. The process takes place every two months. She uses a series of soft brushes and a low-pressure vacuum cleaner to ever so gently remove the dust and dirt deposits that inevitably occur when there are so many visitors flocking to see the masterworks. The statue was crafted by the Italian master between 1501-1504 from a block of marble. It represents the Biblical hero David, a favoured subject in the art of Florence. Originally the statue was placed in a public square, outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence, where it was unveiled on 8 September 1504. The statue was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, in 1873, to better protect it against pollution and the elements, and later replaced at the original location by a replica. By taking care of the David every two months, restorers are able to closely monitor the statues’ condition and to record any changes to the surface of the marble. According to the Director of the Accademia the statue is in good condition and the micro-fractures in David’s ankles and in the tree trunk behind his right leg are stable. Photo by Eric Vandeville/ABACAPRESS.COM